Heel



H. F. BANNER Nov. 28, 1950 HEEL Filed Nov. 6, 1948 FIG.

INVENTOR. HERBERT F. BANNER ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 HEEL Herbert F. Banner, .Easton, Md.

Application November 6, 1948,"Serial No. 58,694

Claims.

This invention relates to heels for shoes and boots, and :it relates more particularly to a heel of the type having a shiftable and replaceable portion which may be selectively positioned to present various portions thereof at the place where the maximum of wear occurs, thus resulting in considerable economy and saving to the user.

The principal object of the present invention is to .provide a heel for boots and shoes, of a novel character, which is so constructed and arranged that the same may be shifted about to cause various portions thereof to be alternatively positioned where the greatest wear occurs, and which will permit the replacement of a new wearing member when the previously used wearing member becomes worn at various places so that it is no longer possible to further shift the same about.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heel of the character aforesaid which is so constructed and arranged that the wearing member thereof may be readily shifted or replaced by persons of relatively little skill, whereby ordinary users may do so without recourse to a shoe repairman.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe having mounted thereon a heel embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an underneath plan View of the heel detached; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred form of fastening device used for securing the ends of the wearing member to the main or body portion of the heel.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, 5 is a shoe which may be of any preferred type and which, as there shown, is provided with a lift 6 of any preferred material secured to the shoe 5 below the rear or heel end thereof.

Secured to the lift 6 is the body portion 1 of a heel of the present invention, which is provided onthe sides, and around the rear thereof, :with

a groove or recess 8 adapted to receive the shiftable and replaceable wearing member 9. The body portion 7 of the heel is preferably made of rubber :or the like of ;a relatively tough composition and the same is permanently secured to the lift 6 or other heel portion :of the 811095.

The wearing member 9 comprises a strip of suitable material such as rubber or'the like, of a relatively tough composition, and the said strip is provided, near each end-thereof, with one-or more annular grooves or recesses I0 which are adapted to be seated in fasteningdevices ll shown in detached perspective in Fig. 4 :of the drawing. .A plurality of grooves ID are preferably provided so that the strip is thus adaptable for use on heels of various sizes.

Said fastening devices H each comprise a metallic member having portions 12 and 13- at right angles to each other. The portion I2 is preferably mounted flush with the top surface of the body portion 1 of the heel, and the downwardly extending portion l3 is provided with an aperture M, in which one of the grooves ll] of the wearing member 9 is adapted to be seated. The member I3 is also provided with a slot I 5 extending externally from the aperture M to permit the ready insertion and removal of the grooved ends of the wearing member 9.

The wearing member 9 is preferably of rectangular cross-section with its corners rounded as at l6, and the recess 8 of the body portion 1 is also shaped complemental to the wearing member thereby to provide a rim H which extends under the inner portion of the wearing member 9 and serves to prevent the same from becoming accidentally dislodged.

In the use of the heel of the present invention, the shoes on which the same are mounted may be worn until the shiftable and replaceable wearing member 9 becomes worn at a particular place usually on the rear outer side of the heel, after which the same may be removed and turned over to provide a different portion of the place of greatest wear of the heel.

After each wearing member 9 has become worn at two places the same may be transposed between the shoes of the pair and thus two additional wearing portions on each member may be utilized.

Furthermore, if the wearing member be made square in cross-section, with the corners uniformly rounded, it is possible to use each wearing strip in eight different positions.

It will therefore be noted that each member 9 of the form shown may be shifted to four separate positions before it is necessary to discard the same, after which the same may be readily replaced by a new wearing member 9. The replacement of the wearing member 9 will ordinarily take place before any appreciable wear on the main or body portion 1 of the heel takes place, and by the use of the heel of the present invention it will not be necessary to resort to a skilled shoemaker or cobbler to have the heels replaced by a new pair when the same become worn.

I claim:

1. A heel for shoes and boots comprising a main body portion having a recess extending along the sides and around the back thereof, and a wearing member comprising a strip of square cross-section normally seated in said recess, said strip terminating at the forward corners of the body member, and the body member having means fixedly secured therein at the forward corners detachably engaging the ends of the wearing member thereby to hold the said wearing member in the recess.

2. A heel for shoes and boots comprising a main body portion having a recess extending along the sides and around the back thereof, and a wearing member comprising a strip normally seated in said recess, said body member having clips fixedly secured therein at the forward corners thereof and the wearing member having annular recesses at each end seated in said clips thereby to hold said wearing member in the recess in the body portion of the heel.

3. A heel for shoes and boots comprising a main body portion having a recess extending along the sides and around the back thereof, and a wearing member comprising a strip normally seated in said recess, said body member having clips fixedly secured therein at the forward corners thereof and the wearing member having annular recesses at each end seated in said clips thereby to hold said Wearing member in the recess in the body portion of the heel, the recess in the body portion being of a shape complemental to the strip and having a projecting rim to insure the retention of the wearing member in said recess.

4. A heel for shoes and boots comprising a main body portion having a recess extending along the sides and around the back thereof, and a Wearing member comprising a strip normally seated in said recess, said body member having clips fixedly secured therein at the forward corners thereof and the wearing member having annular recesses at each end seated in said clips thereby to hold said wearing member in the recess in the body portion of the heel, said wearing member being of square cross-section with rounded edges and the recess in the body portion being of complemental shape having a projecting rim to insure the retention of the wearing member in said recess.

5. A heel for shoes and boots comprising a main body portion having a recess extending along the sides and around the back thereof, and a wearing member comprising a strip of substantially rectangular cross-section normally seated in said recess, said strip terminating at the forward corners of the body portion, means fixedly secured in said body member detachably engaging the end portions of the wearing member thereby to hold said wearing member in the recess, and the recess in the body portion being of a shape complemental to the strip.

HERBERT F. BANNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 978,896 Karpen Dec. 20, 1910 1,481,074 Sternberg Jan. 15, 1924 2,271,088 Melley Jan. 27, 1942 

